One of the first things that usually pops into a person’s mind when they hear the word “waxing” is how painful the process must be. Perhaps the notion of waxing is a very painful method of hair removal comes from how the pain is slightly overexaggerated in movies, but it could also be based on the testimonies of people with a very low tolerance of pain. Many people have said that waxing is not as painful as some people make it out to be.
Well, if you are trying it out for the first time, or if you already tried it out and you are one of those people whose threshold for pain is quite low, you have come to the right place. We have a few tips on what you can do to reduce the pain when waxing. There is no need to fear because pain is not necessarily something that is unavoidable. There are a few things you can try that will reduce the pain considerably or remove it completely from the waxing process.
Why Do We Feel Pain When Waxing?
Waxing involves the removal of hair from the root, and we’re not talking about just removing a few hairs. No, waxing usually involves removing patches of hair at once. There are nerve endings surrounding the hair follicle, and when you rip out a hair, you will experience a sudden shock of pain that only lasts for a few seconds. People typically feel a pinch when removing just one hair, now imagine how it feels when you remove an entire patch of hair. It can be quite painful.
There are a few factors that affect how much pain we feel. For example, it depends on the area that is being waxed. Some areas on our bodies are more sensitive than others because there are more nerves and pain receptors present. These areas include the genital areas, nose and more. Some people have also experienced more pain throughout their lives which means that a wax treatment is hardly painful at all.
How To Reduce Pain When Waxing At Home
One of the best ways to avoid pain is to be prepared. Follow all the pre-waxing recommendations like exfoliating and cleaning the skin before applying the wax. You should also make sure that the area you plan to wax is not more sensitive or irritated, meaning you should not wax a particular area that has been sunburnt or has a rash or pimples present. Applying and removing wax to these areas is not recommended because it can damage your skin even more, not to mention the increased amount of pain you will feel.
For women, your skin is also more sensitive around that time of the month, so it is recommended that you avoid waxing immediately before and after your menstruation, especially if you have a low tolerance for pain.
Since wax sticks to the skin as well and not only the hair, you will remove dead skin cells when you rip off the wax. Once you remove the wax, that area of skin will be more sensitive. For that reason, it would be best that you do not wax an area more than once – twice should be the maximum. This is to prevent any skin irritation that can come from over-waxing an area.
Soaking your target area in warm water is a good way to loosen the skin a bit so that the hair can be pulled out more easily. Stubborn hairs are usually the most painful ones to remove. A good example of stubborn hairs is pubic hairs which are generally thicker in diameter, which means that they require a stronger force when removing them. This is why getting a bikini wax is the most painful wax you can get.
One recommendation that comes from professionals who work in salons and wax hair for a living is to use a numbing cream. The numbing cream is a safe product that you apply to the area that will be waxed in order to numb it, removing any feeling you may have in that area. The cream does not prevent the wax from sticking to the hair so you can still count on most of their being removed in one swoop.
Another precaution you can take if you are afraid of experiencing pain to drink a painkiller about 30 minutes before waxing. Don’t drink it right before waxing because the painkiller still needs time to be absorbed before taking effect. You don’t need a special prescription for this since any over-the-counter painkiller will do.
Prepare something to soothe your skin after waxing. This can be a cold compress that you apply to your skin to reduce any burning pain or a soothing lotion that does the same thing. For a “best of both” kind of solution, place the soothing lotion in the refrigerator the night before so that it also has a cooling effect when applied after waxing.
Don’t forget to follow the general rules of how to properly wax. This includes applying the wax in the same direction as the hair growth and then removing the wax by pulling it in the opposite direction of the hair growth. You should also pull your skin taut while removing the wax, and make sure that when you pull the wax off, it is one quick and swift motion. Additionally, make sure that your hair is not too long – it should be around a quarter of an inch in length. These are the general guidelines of waxing that you should follow, all of which are there to minimize pain as well.
The last thing you should consider on this journey to wax without pain is to choose your wax correctly. Soft wax has to be heated and there is a risk of applying wax that is too hot and then burning your skin. Another thing with soft waxes it that they stick to the skin as well as the hair, so when you remove it, you are also pulling the skin. Hard waxes only stick to the hair, making it less painful when it is removed.
In conclusion, waxing does not necessarily have to be a painful experience. I remember waxing for the first time, shutting my eyes in preparation for the ensuing pain and then feeling almost nothing when I ripped the wax off for the first time. The experience will be different for each person, but now you know that you can prepare for the worst.
